Backtrack

Backtrack, Britain's Leading Historical Railway Journal, covers all aspects of railway history from its earliest days through to more recent events up to around ten years before now including, early railway history from the 'pre-Stephenson' era, steam, diesel and electric locomotive history, railway company history, railway carriages and wagons, railway stations, railway ships, hotels & road vehicles, railway economic and social history, railway publicity and advertising. Backtrack's contributors include many of today's leading railway history writers. From the beginning the magazine has maintained a reputation for its production values and each issue contains a wealth of photographs reproduced to the highest standards, including a generous selection of historic colour. Published monthly, Backtrack is THE magazine for all who are interested in British railway history.

Editorial • Older … wiser?

Backtrack

THE GWR ‘1366’ CLASS PANNIER TANKS • In 1934 the Great Western Railway built six of these small 0-6-0PTs, an updated version of a saddle tank design from 1910, for local shunting where a short wheelbase was needed for tightly curved track. In due course they became best known for working the passenger trains on the Weymouth Quay Tramway and the goods branch from Boscarne Junction to Wenford Bridge, which is where we see them.

FROM CABLE TO LIGHT RAIL FENCHURCH STREET STATION AND THE BLACKWALL RAILWAY

TRAIN CREW LEFT BEHIND

REMEMBERING THE ‘TIGER’ TRAINS • DAVID J. HAYES looks back at a short-lived freight operation, which had absolutely nothing to do with transporting endangered big cats by rail!

PART TWO LAKE'S CHIEF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS C. J. BOWEN COOKE AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF CHARLES S. LAKE AND OTHERS • In the second of Charles S. Lake's articles ‘Some CMEs I have met’ in the Railway Magazine in 1942/3, he describes his meetings with the LNWR's C. J. Bowen Cooke. MALCOLM COWTAN reviews this article and gives the views of some other commentators on Bowen Cooke's work.

STRANGERS IN TOWN • The 1948 Locomotive Exchanges organised by the new British Railways brought unfamiliar motive power to London termini as participating locomotives from different companies stood in strange surroundings – to the delight of enthusiasts and photographers. But these well-known ‘trials’ were not the first …

OVER BEATTOCK • Scenes on the famous West Coast Main Line climb through the Lowlands and around Beattock Summit, 1,015ft above sea level, photographed by GAVIN MORRISON

ANOTHER DIP INTO THE EAST MIDLANDS FILE • PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SIMON LATHLANE COLLECTION

THE RAILWAYS OF MIDHURST

WEST LONDON UNDERGROUND STATIONS • Another selection of architectural gems photographed and described by PAUL JOYCE

BRITAIN'S RAILWAYS IN 1919

THE BOULBY MINE MINERAL RAILWAY AT 50

NEW LIGHT ON THE LAST YEARS OF THE STRATFORD & MORETON TRAMWAY

LEFT LUGGAGE AT PADDINGTON

Readers' Forum • Letters intended for publication should ideally add extra detail to our articles (or offer corrections of course!) and not be too long, consistent with the detail they offer. As always, we are sorry that space and time prevent us from printing them all or sending personal replies. ED.

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